Best place to exchange cash in/for Toronto?

ATM at a bank branch (or at least from a well-established bank) is generally the best option. Cash exchange places charge fees and/or have poor exchange rates.

Yeah, I know at duty free you get about 1.25 CAD to USD, where as withdrawing from the atm my bank will charge 1%, and atms generally use the proper exchange rate, its just a question of finding an atm that charges a reasonable fee (read; not in the club).

Ideally, I'd use an ATM in my banks network because that would get me out of almost all fees, but the closest is Ottawa.

Bank fees are only a few dollars. If you need to ask about gas usage for boat. If you need to find the lowest rate for atm, you can't afford to travel to Canada.

Just go to the bank closest to your hotel. It likely won't differ significantly from other banks; and you won't waste time trying to save $3.

Do I need to find the lowest rate?
No.

Do I want to spend extra if I don't have to?
Also no.

I think the point being made is that by making withdrawals from an ATM, whatever fees you will be charged will be more than made up for by getting the most favorable exchange rate.

You could get the "correct" answers using the same computer you used to ask here,, and quicker, try Google, or your own bank's website.

Are you staying in a hotel there? When I was in Montreal my hotel did cash exchanges but it was limited to a certain amount per day. The banks wouldn't do it if I didn't have an account as I recall. Most of the dollars I "converted" were at a strip club. The same club on two different days because the hottest dancer I've ever had worked there (think she was Egyptian and Italian) and they really didn't charge much more than the actual exchange rate.

Is everyone an idiot here?

Cross at Niagara Falls. Go to one of the casinos on the Canadian side, exchange your American dollars for Canadian, when you’re done and come back through and do the same exchange again back to American.

Only hassle is sometimes it’s hard to find a parking place near the casino that is free during tourist season.

"Is everyone an idiot here?"

Some of us might fly places and not do whole border driving thing lol. When I was in Montreal I checked a few places around the hotel, then told myself I could keep wasting time trying to save a few bucks or go to a club looking for hot chicks. I didn't feel like paying whatever the fee was to do the conversion at the airport, and it probably would've been a wash.

When I'm there I just pay the fees for a convenient ATM. It usually costs about 15 bucks or less including all the fees to take out 500 CAD which is generally enough. I don't change it back to USD, I know I'll be back so I just bring the change home til next time. If I ever wanted to change it back, I'd probably just walk into my local bank and do it. When I first started going, I made an effort to save money on that shit, but I found myself going an extra 30-40 minutes out of my way so save 5-10 bucks and it just wasn't worth the hassle.

In a pinch, I've found strippers actually do reasonable exchange rates too. The first time I did it, it was a bit awkward to be sitting there looking at exchange rates with a stripper but it obviously wasn't her first time. Most seem to be cool to take what google says and just round up. My experience is more in the clubs near the airport though.

“Is everyone an idiot here?"

Yes wallon apparently everyone is - because the OP said he was driving through Buffalo crossing there. The only crossings (2) through Buffalo to Canada occur in Niagara Falls. There used to be a 3rd but you had to have nexus to use that one. I have no idea what the current situation is in a post COVID world.

The casinos will convert your money for free and usually offer the most favorable conversion rates at the moment so if you’re driving through there it’s a no brainer.

"Yes wallon apparently everyone is - because the OP said he was driving through Buffalo crossing there."

Actually the OP said "coming through Buffalo". To people familiar with driving themselves around Buffalo, New York (no offense to those who are, my favorite crazy ex girlfriend settled there with one of her husband's) I guess that translated to "driving through Buffalo crossing there". It's fine to run with your assumptions because TUSCL, but I read the words that were there. If I looked at a map every time some homer talked about their stomping grounds like everyone's been there that's all I'd be doing lol.

So, my intent was definitely to cross in Buffalo, because I'm on the west, I usually cross at Peace Bridge, but if I'm using a casino to exchange currency, I'm probably better off crossing at rainbow Bridge.

“If you need to ask about gas usage for boat”

I’ve never heard that phrase before but I love it! You could use that a lot in the TJ forum. People will go out of their way to travel to San Diego yet get frugal about spending a few bucks for the best way to get the fun zone